Countdown
by Sorrelheart
Summary: "You have five heartbeats." 5, Orphan. 4, Outcast. 3, Betrayer. 2, Killer. 1 "I love you Gingerbreeze. I'm sorry!"


A white she-cat with a ginger paw was pinned in the middle of the Shadowclan camp by a large grey tabby.

Falconstar stood on the high branch.

"Gingerbreeze, your crime against Shadowclan is punishable by death. Owlheart, the duty is yours."

Owlheart looked down at the writhing she-cat, then back at his leader.

"With pleasure."

He looked down at the she-cat. Her eyes showed no fear, but only pain and regret.

"Falconstar, may I do it away from the camp? I don't want the kits or apprentices to witness this."

Falconstar huffed.

"Fine."

Owlheart dragged Gingerbreeze to a clearing not to far from the camp.

"I give you five heart beats to try and run, or I will kill you here and now."

The memories swam into her head.

**"5"**

_A tiny white she-kit bounced around her mothers paws._

_"Mama? Why am I so small?"_

_Her mother purred in amusement._

_"Because you were born not a quarter moon ago, my sweet. Oh! Here comes your father."_

_A large golden tom padded up to her._

_"Hello my little warrior. Morning Darling."_

_"Morning to you too Brackenstep."_

_Gingerkit bounced between the two._

_"Mama, Daddy? Will we do this every morning?"_

_Whitedrop looked down at her daughter._

_"Do you want us to?"_

_"Yah!"_

_Brackenstep purred._

_"Then yes we can."_

_The gorse barrier shook, and cats came running into the camp._

_Brackenstep rushed to fight, and Whitedrop hurried her into the nursery.__The two hid in the far back corner. Suddenly a terrifying shriek filled the air._

_"Mama, are we going to be fine?"_

_Whitedrop licked her head._

_"I hope so. Just know that whatever happens, me and your father love you to Starclan and back."_

_A dark shape loomed in the entrance. Whitedrop shoved Gingerkit behind her._

_"Shadestar, what do I owe the pleasure?"_

_"Windclan will be terminated. I was aware that there were kits born. Where are they?"_

_Whitedrop hissed at the cat._

_"Dead, the frost got to them."_

_Shadestar smirked._

_"Then I will kill the only queen."_

_Gingerkit closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her mother and Shadestar were gone._

_"Mama? D-daddy?"_

_She cautiously stepped out of the nursery, and saw her parents sleeping in the clearing. The whole clan was gathered around them. She nudged them._

_"Mama, Daddy? Why won't they get up?"_

_A large black she-cat spoke._

_"I'm sorry Gingerkit, but you are now what we call an...Orphan."_

**"4"**

_"Come on Gingerpaw, I know you're faster then that!"_

_Wolfstep spat at his apprentice._

_"If you can't keep up, then go home!"_

_Gingerpaw caught up with the patrol as they were crossing the tree bridge. The older apprentices nipped at her paws as she crossed onto the gathering island. She slipped into a spot next to a ginger and white tom._

_"Hi, I'm Otterpaw! What's your name?"_

_She looked away awkwardly. She wasn't used to cats talking to her since the day her parents died._

_"I'm from Shadowclan, and my brother, next to the yellow she-cat is Owlpaw. Hey Owlpaw, come say hi!"_

_She looked to see a handsome gray tabby tom pad over. He looked at her and smiled, and she did the same._

_"Windclan is thriving! We have one new apprentice, Gingerpaw."_

_The clans cheered her name, and she shrunk back._

_"So your name is Gingerpaw huh? We have a Gingerpaw too, I'll go look for her!"_

_Otterpaw pushed his way through the crowd._

_Owlpaw leaned over._

_"Gingerpaw is a pretty name. I guess your a bit of an outcast in Windclan. Me and Otterpaw are in Shadowclan. We were rogues until our mother joined the clan. What about you?"_

_She swallowed._

_"Well, my parents were killed in an attack on our cam when I was a quarter moon. She was the only queen, and I was an only kit."_

_"Oh, that's too bad."_

_She heard Airstar call out._

_"Windclan time to go home!"_

_"Wait, meet me here at the horseplace in three nights?"_

_"Sure."_

_She padded to the tree bridge and was bout to cross, when she was shoved to the ground. A familiar brown tom loomed over her. Sharppaw._

_"You can go after the worthy members have crossed. You are nothing but and Outcast."_

**"3"**

_"But please, Owlheart I love you!"_

_Owlheart was already padding away._

_"I found someone else Gingerbreeze, I don't love you. When we were apprentices, this was foolish, now it's against the code. Get out of my sight, or I'll make you."_

_She didn't move, she was frozen with shock._

_"Fine!"_

_Owlheart raked his claws down her cheek, then ran back to Shadowclan territory. Gingerbreeze slowly walked back to Windclan's camp, until something caught her eye. She slipped into a bush and __watched as two cats were talking quietly to each other._

_"Sharpfang, you know that we can't go on like this. Owlheart is already forcing me into the nursery. He still thinks that they are his!"_

_Sharpfang licked the she-cat's head._

_"Don't worry Tawnyleap, soon enough it won't matter as to what clan I come from. I'm already rising to power and Airstar is on her last life. Soon enough we will be one clan!"_

_Tawnyleap purred._

_"How about we come up with names for our kits. Owlheart's suggestions are so dumb! What kind of names are Mousekit and Reedkit?"_

_"Don't worry my dear, we can kill him once they are born."_

_Tawnyleap crouched down._

_"Sharpfang, the kits are early. Please get help, it hurts!"_

_She let out a screech and Sharpfang bolted towards Shadowclan's camp. She waited several heartbeats then padded out, carrying a stick._

_"Get out of here!"_

_Gingerbreeze just came closer. She dropped the stick at Tawnyleap's paws._

_"My friend said that having a stick to bite on helped with the pain when she was kitting."_

_Tawnyleap hesitantly took the stick in her jaws._

_"What's your name? I don't recognize you, nor recognize your scent."_

_"My name is Ginger-"_

_She broke off into a run when she scent Sharpfang's scent grow stronger. She could faintly hear Tawnyleap thank her._

**"2"**

_"Tonight, you will save the forest from Sharpfang and Tawnyleap. Kill them both, and the kits. Starclan is on your side."_

_Gingerbreeze looked at Hollyleaf, who smiled._

_"Do not worry."_

_Gingerbreeze woke up in the warrior's den. She slipped out and padded over to Shapfang, who insists on sleeping outside. She rose her paw on brought it down on his throat. He never knew what killed him._

_She slipped out of cam and raced to Shadowclan, but stopped when she heard pawsteps._

_"Come on sis, let's go find Dad!"_

_"I don't know."_

_She walked out in front of the kits._

_"Hello. Who are you two?"_

_The tom puffed out his chest._

_"Were from Shadowclan and are parents are Tawnyleap and Sharpfang."_

_She froze._

_"Why are you two out of camp?"_

_The she-kit spoke._

_"Cause mother said that Dad is going to name us."_

_Gingerbreeze smiled. She couldn't kill these kits, but she could fill their heads with lies._

_"I'll tell you a secret. Sharpfang is not your father, Owlheart is. Your name is Mousekit and you brother's name is Pouncekit. Everything Tawnyleap told you was a lie."_

_She bolted past the kits and into the nursery, where Tawnyleap was looking for her missing kits._

_"G-Ginger?"_

_Those were her final words as Gingerbreeze struck her throat, but she let out a scream before she stopped breathing._

**"1"**

Owlheart leapt at Gingerbreeze and raked his claws against her throat. She hit the ground and he started to head back to camp.

"Owlheart?"

He turned around.

"Y-your kits are in the forest looking for their father. I told them that it was you, not Sharpfang, and since they said that they had no names I named them for you. The tom is Pouncekit, and the she-kit is Mousekit."

Owlheart hurried to Gingerbreeze's side.

"What?"

"Oh, I never told you because i found out only this morning, but I was expecting kits. Your kits. I love you Owlheart."

Her eyes closed, and she stopped moving.

"Gingerbreeze? I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I should have stayed with you. I love you."

* * *

I hoe you guys like it! And I have an alternate ending where Owlheart doesn't turn around when she calls him. If you want to see it please use the poll on my profile!

~Sorrelheart


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